JUST READ!

I would like to start by thanking the men and women who are giving their all to find MH370. Over the past three weeks, hundreds of people have journeyed thousands of kilometres to help. They have searched through stormy seas and freezing fog. They have sailed through cyclones to find the plane. We owe them each a debt of gratitude.

This has been a remarkable effort, bringing together nations from around the world. When MH370 went missing, dozens of countries answered the call for help. Their commitment will not be forgotten.

In a time of great tragedy – for the countries with citizens on board, and the families whose loved ones are missing – this co-operation has given us all heart. Differences have been set aside, as 26 nations have united behind a common cause. The disappearance of MH370 is without precedent; so too is the search.

This morning I met with sailors and aircrew at Peace Air Force Base. I also spoke to the commanders of the seven nations who are here to search for MH370. They told me of the difficulties of a search like this; of distance, and weather, and of maintaining morale amidst so many false sightings.

As we speak, 10 aircraft and 9 ships are searching the Indian Ocean for any sign of the missing plane. The search area is vast, and the conditions are not easy. But the courage of the crews is more than equal to the task. Once again, I thank them all for what they are doing.

I would also like to thank Prime Minister Abbott for hosting us here in Perth; for agreeing to lead the search operations in the southern Indian Ocean; and for accepting our invitation for Australia to participate as an Accredited Representative in the investigation. We will continue to work closely with the Australian government to draw up a comprehensive agreement on the search.

At this difficult time, Australia has proven an invaluable friend. The Australian authorities, like so many others, have offered their assistance without hesitation or delay. I would like to sincerely thank Australia for all they have done, and are doing, to find the plane.

We are also grateful to all those who have brought their expertise to bear on what Prime Minister Abbott rightly called 'one of the great mysteries of our time'.

The disappearance of MH370 has tested our collective resolve. Faced with so little evidence, and such a difficult task, investigators from Malaysia, the US, the UK, China, Australia and France have worked without pause to reveal the aircraft's movements. Their collective efforts have led us here.

We are here today, but our thoughts are thousands of kilometres away. In the cities and countries around the world, where families of those on board wait desperately for news. And in the vastness of the Indian Ocean, where MH370 awaits.

I know that until we find the plane, many families cannot start to grieve. I cannot imagine what they must be going through. But I can promise them that we will not give up.

A-ah! The Cabinet has instructed the attorney-general to compile evidence against media outlets which had misreported the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said through Twitter that the government was mulling legal action against the misreporting by the media, and that the A-G has been instructed to begin compiling necessary details before determining the next course of action.

Have they identified which?

"The cabinet has instructed the A-G to compile evidence and advice," Hishammuddin said in his tweet yesterday. He was referring to a local daily report which quoted him as saying that the government "should sue" media outlets for "false reports". "We have been compiling all the false reports since Day 1. When the time is right, the government should sue them," he said when quoted by the daily. The daily quoted Hishammuddin as saying that the government has been transparent throughout the search for the plane which disappeared on March 8. "The Malaysian government has nothing to hide and I believe the truth will prevail," he said.

Misreporting has been the 'selling criteria' for some local and foreign media, thus creating discomfort and confusion among many Malaysians and foreigners over the issue of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

Some newspapers also spin stories that the passengers were 'safe and sound' while not few said the plane went down in the Indian Ocean.

Hisham's warning is not the only one. Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar regrets that there are still certain parties who continue to speculate the fate of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 even to the point of tarnishing the name of pilot, Capt Zaharie Ahmad Shah's family.

He said the speculations would not only embarrass the family but could also jeopardise investigations into the incident.

"There are too many speculations so we have to be very careful when we read. Even his daughter has denied, yet there are media (foreign) who are unethical and intentionally write things which are not correct. "If there was anything I will make an announcement, but we have to understand that this is being investigated and we are afraid that it could jeopardise our investigation," he told reporters after launching the Life-long Health Carnival With Royal Malaysian Police Leadership at the Kelantan Police Contingent Headquarters, in Kota Baru today. Yesterday, Capt Zaharie's daughter, Aishah slammed the report by UK newspaper The Daily Mail which claimed that her father was emotionally disturbed several weeks before the tragedy. Flight MH370, with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board, went missing on March 8 about an hour after departing the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 12.41am.